Mirror bracket



Nov. 7, 1933. F. G. wlTHRow MIRROR BRACKET Filed Oct. 29 1929 Tio Patented Nov. 7, 1933 UNITED STATES MIRROR BRACKET Y A Floyd G. Withrow, Grandk Rapids, Mich.V Application October 29, 1929.' SerialgNo.403,155

4 Claims.

' 5 ing a mirror on the upper hinge of the front door of an automobile so that thermirror is'swung with the door in its movements, and to further provide a very simple, practical and economically Y constructed bracket whereby mountingl the mirror cn the door hinge may be very readily accomplished and with which vibration of the mirror is eliminated. A furtherobject of the inventionis to provide a mirror bracket and attaching means therefor for connecting to the hinge which, while it maintains the mirror in any position to which it may be adjusted, may be easily operated so that the bracket and attached mirror can be moved substantially about a vertical axis at the inner end of the bracket to dilerent positions and will maintain the position to which. moved, this without releasing any of the parts or requiring the use of tools to accomplish the adjustment desired. A still further object of the invention is toV mount the mirror at .the outer end of the bracket so that the mirror may be turned about an axis odset from the center of the mirror, this .permitting the mirror itself to be raised or lowered or moved inward and outward to an indefinite number or" positions on the axis about which it turns.

The construction for the attainment of the ends stated is iully described in the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which,`

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the mounting of the mirror by use of the bracket oi my invention on the upper hinge `of the iront door of an automobile.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged horizontal section and plan, the section being taken in a plane above the mirror bracket.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section substantially on the plane of line 3-3 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction indicated by arrow, and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the various parts used in adjustably securing the mirror bracket to the door hinge, said parts being separate from each other.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different iigures of the drawing.

In the construction of the ordinary closed body of an automobile, front posts 1 of sheet metal are used between which the windshield is located and the upper hinges for mounting the front door are connected with these posts. Said hinge on the post includes a hinge member 2 permanently secured thereto. -The door 3 has theA other hinge member 4 of the form best shownV in Fig.. 2, permanently secured toY and adjacent the `front edge or the door and it is pivotally connected to the other hinge member 2 by Va vertical pivot 60 pin. c y g v1t `is on this upper hinge at the left hand side of the automobile that the mirror bracket with lthe mirror at its outer end is designed to be mounted.

n the constructionoi the mirror bracket a length 65 of dat metal is'usedfand is bent back upon itself, one side G thereof having a suitable reinforcing rib 7 and at the outer end formed ntoa concaved cup Sthrough the center oi which an-oblong slot Slis cut, that is, the 4length of the slot isgreater 70 than the width. The bend at 10 is anopen bend substantially. ahalf circle and the other yside l1 of the bracket extends romthe bend 10, its free end coming against the side 6 to `which it is permanentlyv secured, .preferably by welding.

Ain applying the bracket to the hinge member e", a spring retaining device is used betweenthe outer side of the curved end 10 ofthe braket and the outer side of the hinge member 4., y This spring hoidingjor retaining member is a plate `12Y 80 of flat spring metal of the form best shown in Fig. 4 which, at each end, is providedwith a projecting' ear 13 and at each side edge with an angularly disposed lip 14. Thev'length/of vthe member l2 is such that when the bend at the end 10 is brought 85 againstit, the ears 13 extend beyond the upper y and lower edges of the bracket and the angularly disposed lips 14' bearhagainst the outer side vof the curved end or bend 10. A U-shaped ,rodhaving an intermediate connecting portion 16and 90 two.threaded legs 1'7bent atright angles therefrom passes around the hinge member 4 at its inner side,'one leg 17 lying above and the other below the hinge member 4. Said legs pass through openings in the ears 13 and thence through open- 95 ings adjacent the ends of a bar 15 which is extended through the bracket at the inner side of the bend l0 and is convexed at one side to bear against the innercurved side of said bend 16, as best shown in Fig. 2. Nuts 18 threaded onto the ends 109 of the legs 17 are used to bind the parts securely together. With the tightening of the nuts the lips 14 engaged against the outer side ofthe bend 10 cause the plate l2 to be sprung and thus develop a pressure against the curved end of the 10;;l bracket which holds it in any position to which it may be set; but on grasping the bracket, or'the mirror which is to besecured at its outer end,

the bracket can be turned forward or back, plate 12 yielding to permit such movement but imme'- 119 diately acting to hold the bracket in the position to which moved when the bracket is released.

The mirror 19, preferably of circular form, has the usual reflecting glass at its rear side and the metal back is formed with an outwardly extending convex member 2O which is received Within the concaved side of the cup 8, a screw passing through the opening 9, its head being Within the member 2,0 and its shank being flattened on both sides to conform to the oblong opening at 9. A nut 21 on the end of the screw, when tightened, holds the mirror in place against accidental movement. turned about the axis of the screw used` toA connect it with the bracket so that the mirror may be raised or lowered or turned inwardly so as to lie Wholly back of the bracket supporting it. This follows by reason of the off center oreccentric position of the part 20 with respect tothe mirror center.

The mirror bracket construction described and the mannerin which it is connected to the outer end of the bracket are features of considerable merit in devices of thiskind. The bracket constructionv is strong and durable and capable of f ully withstanding all the usage to Which it is subjected'` andat the same time is particularly economical to manufacture. The spring retaining member between the curved end of the bracket and the hinge member holds the bracket in any position desired yet permits its adjustment to the front orrear without requiring the use of tools, the adjustment being made instantly, and at thev same time serves to hold the bracket against any undesired movement or any vibration coniing from road shocks as the automobile passes over the road. The mounting ofthe Vmirror to turn about aneccentric axis is also a very desirable feature of the invention productive of` ready and easy adjustment of the mirror von the bracket to an indenite number-of positions around the axis about which it is movable. All these featurescombine to make the invention one of exceptionall practical value. 'llhe invention is vdelined in the appended claims and is to be conlength of fiat metal bent back upon itself to form an arm khaving arounded end of substantially semi-cylindrical form, a mirrorA secured to the other end of said arm, a spring retaining device comprising a plate of spring i metal having angularlyA disposed lips at its side edges located against the rounded end of said But by grasping the mirror it may ber bracket, a U-shaped securing member having spaced legs passing through the ends of said retaining member, a bar located against the inner side of said rounded end portion of the bracket, said legs passing through the ends of the bar, and nuts threaded onto the ends of legs against said bar, for the purposes described.

2. In combination with an automobile hinge, of a bracket arm formed from a length of metal bent upon itself, the free end portions of said metal Vbeing connected together and the bend therein being of open substantially semi-cylindrical form, a spring holding plate disposed between the rounded end of said bracket arm and saidv hinge, said plate being provided with means at its side edges to bear against the rounded end of the arm, means passing around the hinge combined with means extending through said open rounded end portion of the arm for securing said bracket arm to the hinge andv clamping the spring holding member between them, anda mirror secured to the outer end of said bracket arm. j

3. In combination with a hinge comprising two pivotally connected hinge members, a bracket arm comprising two sides located against each other adjacent one end and secured together and integrally connected at their opposite ends by a continuous substantially cylindrical open bend, of a bar passing through said arm at the bend therein, a U-shaped stirrup located around one of said hinge members andk having legs extending one above and the other below said hinge member through` said bar, nuts threaded on to the ends of the legs against the bar, a friction spring holding member located between said bend at said end of` the arm and the hinge and sprung out of normal form on tightening said nuts and thereby rictionally engagingthe rounded end of said arm to normallyV hold it against movement, and a mirror connected to the opposite end, of said arm.

4. In combination, a bracketA comprising an arm having A an opening through one end thereof, a mirror or the like secured to the other end of the arm, a securing member having portions located near either end of said. opening, means extending through said opening, said means being cooperatively associated with the securing member whereby said securing member may be drawn towards. the end of said arm, and a friction holding member located between the end of said arm and the said securingmember for the purpose described.

FLOYD G. WITHROW. 

